PeacePlayers South Africa Storybook FINAL - Flipbook - Page 102
Thandeka Thusi, also known as Coach TT, is one of the most soft-spoken
people you might meet. While soft-spoken, she is tough on participants
because she wants to see them reach their full potential on and off the
court. She also understands the obstacles that the young participants
from her community face. Keeping them on track is a part of her
life's mission.
There was a time when Thandeka succumbed to the outside influences
of gangs and peer pressure, amongst others. Thandeka, and her close
friends, recall her having a short temper during her upbringing. This
phase in her life caused valuable relationships to turn sour, resulting in
her losing the trust of friends and family. Another relationship that
spoiled for a brief time was Thandeka's relationship with PeacePlayers.
After years of being in the programme and doing volunteer coaching
in her free time, Thandeka became a coach at PeacePlayers in 2015.
Thandeka has found long-term success in coaching, but it wasn't so
smooth early on. Peer pressure got the best of her and she was placed on
probation from the organisation for 6-months. She needed this lesson so
that her participants and colleagues could get the best version of her.
Two months into her probation, she humbled herself, and dedicated
herself to serving her suspension in a more accepting way. After six
months, "TT came back a changed person," Umlazi Area Manager,
Thobani Ngubane says.
Once Thandeka got to know more people and hear stories through
her PeacePlayers experience, she realised that she wasn't the only one
who had justified reasons for built-up anger and aggression. She had
been through a lot, and people hadn't always treated her with the same
thoughtfulness as PeacePlayers coaches did.
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PEACEPLAYERS SOUTH AFRICA STORYBOOK
